The Game Baby Steps Features Among the Most Impactful Decisions I Have Ever Faced in a Game

I've encountered some hard decisions in video games. Some of my decisions in Life is Strange continue to trouble me. Ghost of Tsushima's concluding moments made me pause the game for a good 10 minutes while I weighed my choices. I am responsible for so many Krogan demises in Mass Effect that I would love to reverse. None of those moments measure up to what now might be the toughest selection I've faced in interactive media — and it has to do with a massive stairway.

The Game Baby Steps, the newest release from the developers of Ape Out, isn’t exactly a decision-focused experience. At least not in typical gaming terms. You simply have to explore a vast game world as Nate, a onesie-wearing manchild who can barely stand on his shaky limbs. It looks like an exercise in frustration, but Baby Steps game’s power lies in its surprisingly deep narrative that will sneak up on you when you least anticipate it. There’s no situation that showcases that quality like a pivotal decision that remains on my mind.

Note: Spoilers Ahead

A bit of context is needed at this point. Baby Steps game begins as the protagonist is suddenly taken from his parents’ basement and into a fantasy world. He soon realizes that walking through it is a struggle, as years spent as a inactive individual have deteriorated his physical condition. The humorous physicality of it all arises from users guiding Nate gradually, trying to maintain his balance.

The protagonist needs aid, but he has problems articulating that to anyone. As he progresses, he encounters a collection of quirky personalities in the world who each propose to assist him. A composed outdoorsman tries to give Nate a navigation aid, but he awkwardly refuses in the game’s best laugh-out-loud moment. When he plunges into an inescapable pit and is presented with a ladder, he attempts to act casual like he doesn’t need the help and truly prefers to be confined in the cavity. Throughout the story, you see numerous annoying scenarios where Nate complicates his own situation because he’s too insecure to receive help.

The Ultimate Choice

That comes to a head in Baby Steps game’s single genuine instance of choice. As Nate gets close to finishing his adventure, he realizes that he must climb to the top of a frosty elevation. The unofficial caretaker of the world (who Nate has actively avoided up to this point) appears to inform him that there are two ways up. If he’s ready for a test, he can opt for a particularly extended and dangerous hiking trail named The Obstacle. It is the most intimidating challenge Baby Steps game includes; attempting it appears unwise to any person.

But there’s a alternative choice: He can merely climb a massive winding stairs instead and get to the top in a few minutes. The sole condition? He’ll have to call the groundskeeper “Sir” from now on if he opts for the effortless way.

A Difficult Selection

I am absolutely sincere when I say that this is an painful decision in context. It’s all of Nate’s insecurities about himself reaching a climax in a particularly bizarre situation. An element of Nate's story is revolves around the reality that he’s unconfident of his physical appearance and manhood. Whenever he sees that dashing hiker, it’s a painful recollection of what he fails to be. Taking on The Challenge could be a instance where he can demonstrate that he’s as able as his one-sided rival, but that road is bound to be laden with more awkward mishaps. Is it justified struggling just to make a statement?

The staircase, on the other hand, give Nate another big moment to choose whether to take assistance or not. The player has no choice in if they decline guidance, but they can choose to allow Nate some relief and choose the staircase. It ought to be an simple decision, but Baby Steps game is remarkably shrewd about creating doubt each time you encounter an easy option. The game world contains intentional pitfalls that turn a safe route into a obstacle on a dime. Are the stairs one more trick? Could Nate reach to the very summit just to be fooled by a final joke? And even worse, is he willing to be emasculated once again by being forced to call some weirdo Lord?

No Right or Wrong

The beauty of that moment is that there’s no right or wrong answer. Both options brings about a genuine moment of personal growth and therapeutic resolution for Nate. If you decide to take on The Manbreaker, it’s an existential win. Nate at last receives a moment to show that he’s as able as anyone else, consciously choosing a challenging way rather than struggling through one that he has no option except to pursue. It’s hard, and perhaps unwise, but it’s the dose of confidence that he craves.

But there’s no shame in the steps too. To opt for that way is to eventually enable Nate to take support. And when he does so, he realizes that there’s no real catch in store for him. The steps are not a joke. They extend for some distance, but they’re easy to walk up and he doesn’t slide all the way down if he stumbles. It’s a simple climb after extended challenges. Midway through, he even has a discussion with the outdoorsman who has, unsurprisingly, opted for The Obstacle. He attempts to act casual, but you can tell that he’s worn out, quietly regretting the needless difficulty. By the time Nate arrives at the peak and has to fulfill his obligation, addressing his new Master, the arrangement scarcely looks so bad. Who has concern for humiliation by this strange individual?

My Experience

When I played, I selected the steps. Part of me just {wanted to call